Beef

Remember that commercial, featuring Clara Peller's plaintive query, "Where's the Beef"? Clara would have been in heaven, Brazilian-style, at Gauchos Village. This enormous all-you-can-eatery features swords filled with all things beef, as well as chicken, lamb and pork, carved to order. Vegetarians might want to take a pass, as meat certainly takes center stage in a constant parade of protein. Dining at this churrascaria (spit-roasted barbecue eatery) is quite an experience.

The weekly rant against City Manager Jim Starbird by an individual at the Tuesday Nite Follies is perplexing. I doubt that we will ever know who is behind these tirades, but rest assured that this blabberhead is not, for the most part, spewing his very own personal venom. Someone wants Starbird out so that he or an ally can slide into a very important position. If we were to play the old "20 Questions" game, the mystery would be solved quite promptly.

Regarding “Beef back on menu at schools” (Feb. 16-17), about the horrific animal cruelty caught on video at Chino-based Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. recently by an undercover agent of the Humane Society of the United States: The reporter’s inclusion of a description of the humane society as “an animal rights organization based in Washington, D.C.” seemed unnecessary, given the long history of this respected humane...

There are hundreds of kebab restaurants in the Burbank-Glendale area. This is one of them. Garni Kebab sits like a beacon at a fork in the road where Scott Road and North San Fernando Boulevard part company. This family-owned restaurant is clean and friendly and offers both dine in and take out, with free delivery ($15 minimum order). Pleasantries aside, the food left much to be desired. Let’s start with the lentil soup ($3.99). It had no flavor and it was mushy — like it had been sitting around for a long time.

Linda LaZar You know what they say: "Some of the best things come in small packages." That is certainly true in the case of an unpretentious fast-food restaurant called Hamburger Hut. Many times we stop for a quick burger and fries at one of the globally known fast food chains available in countless locations in just about every country in the world. They are convenient, and they serve pretty good food. But there is nothing like those old-fashioned hamburgers served at the little family-owned hamburger stands.

We're all familiar with kebab restaurants, with dozens of choices in the Glendale/Burbank area alone. But how many of us have gone deeper into their menus to savor some of the more complex and savory dishes of the Mediterranean and African countries? You will do well to try the Shekarchi Restaurant, a newcomer to Glendale and part of a chain of three in the Los Angeles area. I was eager to try its version of Persian stew — Ghormeh Sabzi — chunks of beef marinated for more than a day, then simmered with red kidney beans and a variety of tasty herbs.

Having protective parents can be nice. We usually get to appreciate them when we grow older and wiser. Yet, certain things can still get under your skin even when we are older and understand how much parents have done for you. Moms overdo it the most. Guilt and persistence are the two cornerstones of Armenian motherhood. My mom is generally very mild-mannered, and until very recently she had never blackmailed me with the length of her life span to get me to find a wife.

Café Colombia opened in 1999 to serve transplanted Colombians. But the Burbank restaurant has plenty of rich comfort to go around. The stew comes with corn on the cob standing in the middle of the bowl. That's the first clue that this is no run-of-the-mill soup. The next clue is the first spoonful. The rich, thick brew of chicken, potatoes and an Andean herb called guascos is what has made Ajiaco (ah-hee-AH-co) a staple in Colombian cuisine, and why it is comfort food defined. This is South American cuisine, homey yet sophisticated.

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said Monday his department will increase officer deployments at sporting events in response to explosions that killed at least two and injured nearly two dozen others at the Boston Marathon . Beginning with the Dodgers - San Diego Padres baseball game Monday evening, Beck said the additional police presence would include deployment of bomb-squad personnel, dogs and other "precautions geared to...

Glendale Unified officials announced plans to beef up security measures at campuses districtwide following the tragic shooting incidents at schools nationwide, as well some recent scares locally. At the school board meeting on Tuesday, officials said they plan to equip all schools with security cameras. Reception areas at all 30 campuses will also get panic buttons that make direct emergency calls to 911 with a single push, said Alan Reising, an administrator of district facilities.

Café Colombia opened in 1999 to serve transplanted Colombians. But the Burbank restaurant has plenty of rich comfort to go around. The stew comes with corn on the cob standing in the middle of the bowl. That's the first clue that this is no run-of-the-mill soup. The next clue is the first spoonful. The rich, thick brew of chicken, potatoes and an Andean herb called guascos is what has made Ajiaco (ah-hee-AH-co) a staple in Colombian cuisine, and why it is comfort food defined. This is South American cuisine, homey yet sophisticated.

There are hundreds of kebab restaurants in the Burbank-Glendale area. This is one of them. Garni Kebab sits like a beacon at a fork in the road where Scott Road and North San Fernando Boulevard part company. This family-owned restaurant is clean and friendly and offers both dine in and take out, with free delivery ($15 minimum order). Pleasantries aside, the food left much to be desired. Let’s start with the lentil soup ($3.99). It had no flavor and it was mushy — like it had been sitting around for a long time.

We're all familiar with kebab restaurants, with dozens of choices in the Glendale/Burbank area alone. But how many of us have gone deeper into their menus to savor some of the more complex and savory dishes of the Mediterranean and African countries? You will do well to try the Shekarchi Restaurant, a newcomer to Glendale and part of a chain of three in the Los Angeles area. I was eager to try its version of Persian stew — Ghormeh Sabzi — chunks of beef marinated for more than a day, then simmered with red kidney beans and a variety of tasty herbs.

GLENDALE — Some cooks have their own secret ingredients and techniques to cooking the right batch of chili, while others depend on pure luck. Burbank resident Kevin Christensen relies on both. Christensen entered his chili recipe, which he changes a bit every year, into the Glendale Elks annual Chili Cook-off and Salsa Contest on Saturday at the Elks Lodge on Colorado Street. “I wouldn’t even say it’s really developed,” he said. “I just go by the seat of my pants every year until I find a winner.

Having protective parents can be nice. We usually get to appreciate them when we grow older and wiser. Yet, certain things can still get under your skin even when we are older and understand how much parents have done for you. Moms overdo it the most. Guilt and persistence are the two cornerstones of Armenian motherhood. My mom is generally very mild-mannered, and until very recently she had never blackmailed me with the length of her life span to get me to find a wife.

I admit it. I am a tough critic when it comes to a corned beef on rye sandwich. I expect not only perfection, but a stack of meat a mile high and the freshest rye bread on the planet. As soon as my car crosses that George Washington Bridge in New York City, it knows to head straight for one of those genuine delicatessens like a St. Bernard sniffing out lost skiers in a snowdrift. Since 1980, Ben?s Delicatessen in Burbank has given us corned beef on rye aficionados a much cheaper and easier-to-find alternative right in our own backyard.